Poroshenko party deputy involved in seizing UOC church in Bilovezhi

Velichkovich speaking from the porch of the seized church. Photo: Nikolay Velichkovich's Facebook

The deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine from the Poroshenko party "European Solidarity" Nikolay Velichkovich took under personal control the church of the UOC in the village of Bilovezhi Pershi seized last Sunday in the Bakhmach district centre of the Chernihiv region. He reported this on his Facebook page.

The deputy said "a prayer was held in the Ukrainian language" in the church and the temple (rebuilt at the expense of the parishioners of the UOC) was "restored thanks to patrons".

Velichkovich expressed gratitude for "resisting the raider seizure of the church by the Moscow Church" to the concerned patriots and colleagues from "European Solidarity" "from Bakhmach, Ichnia, Nizhyn, Chernihiv, who spent Saturday and Sunday here". The MP also thanked "caring patriots from the surrounding areas". He noted the significant role of "the number of police that arrived to maintain public order in the face of the threat of church seizure" by the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The photos published by Velichkovich show that up to a dozen people are in the church during the service, and about fifty employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are on the street.

As reported earlier, OCU representatives carried out a raider seizure of the temple restored by the efforts of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the village of Bilovezhi Pershi. Later, the ruling bishop of the eparchy, Metropolitan Clement of Nizhyn and Priluky, said that the majority of Bilovezhi residents confirmed their adherence to the UOC, and the provocations of politicians only delayed the opening of the church.

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